the Christ's breath

The Christ's Breath

Hafiz

I am

a hole in a flute

that the Christ's breath moves through,

listen to this

music.

Hat tip to "Inward / Outward" blog, taken from  Love Poems From God, translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Lou Reed & Letter to the Hebrews

Some developing thoughts for Sunday's sermon....

In the Letter to the Hebrews reading for this Sunday, the writer recounts all some of the many ways that "By Faith" ancestors were blessed by God, and accomplished much more than they might have accomplished "on their own."  In the world of the hearers of this letter, they needed to be reminded of the ways that faith becomes tangible, and becomes even a substance.  Remembering the ways that God has acted in the past, and remembering the ways that we, too, have accomplished much "By Faith" can give us courage, and can help us, too to see that faith is tangible - that we do not hope in vain, that we can look forward in faith, for God has been there for us in the past and will continue to be there for us now, and forever.  As the persecuted early followers of Jesus needed a "Busload of Faith," we too, need a "Busload of Faith to get by" - just as Lou Reed sings in his 1989 album (remember albums) "New York"...

...we can't depend on a lot of things, we need a busload of faith to get by....

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Hallelujah

Hallelujah!

I like this version of this song....

I need to get out my guitar tomorrow!

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Sing a new song

God is God and we are, first and foremost, creatures.  We were created, and through God we live and move and have our being.  We've been given the freedom to actually think that we have done it all on our own.  God has created us, but has granted us this strange freedom to live, and move, and have our being under the impression that God is not there, that God is not animating us, loving us, holding us, and abiding with us at every moment.

God being God, God is amazingly solid, and amazingly flexible when it comes to hearing us.  When we come to our senses, we turn to God - perhaps in turmoil, perhaps in tragedy, perhaps in extreme joy, perhaps in deep gratitude.  We turn to God and we offer praise.  Not us alone, but the whole world, the whole universe, the whole cosmos turns to God and offers praise - offers worship.  We offer a bit back to God for all that we've been given.  We finally come to our senses and have the realization that it all is gift.  Every morning is a morning of thanksgiving, every day given to us is a gift - not ours by right, not ours in return for our goodness or lack of goodness.  Every day is a day to offer praise and thanksgiving.

God being God, God relishes all the ways that we turn to God.  In every generation, new songs are sung, and new offerings are given.  The point, really, is in the offering - the song that is sung may be new, reflecting a new reality in our lives. "Sing to the Lord a new song," says the hymn.

"He has done marvelous things.
I, too, will praise him with a new song!"

So sing to the Lord a new song of praise!

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Earth and all stars, loud rushing planets,

sing to the Lord a new song!

O victory, loud shouting army,

sing to the Lord a new song!

Refrain:

He has done marvelous things.

I, too, will praise him with a new song!

Hail, wind, and rain, loud blowing snowstorms,

sing to the Lord a new song!

Flowers and trees, loud rustling leaves,

sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain

Trumpet and pipes, loud clashing cymbals,

sing to the Lord a new song!

Harp, lute, and lyre, loud humming cellos,

sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain

Engines and steel, loud pounding hammers,

sing to the Lord a new song!

Limestone and beams, loud building workers,

sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain

Classrooms and labs, loud boiling test tubes,

sing to the Lord a new song!

Athlete and band, loud cheering people,

sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain

Knowledge and truth, loud sounding wisdom,

sing to the Lord a new song!

Daughter and son, loud praying members,

sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain

Words: Herbert F. Brokering (b. 1926) Music: Earth and All Stars, David N. Johnson (b. 1922)

Came into being through him

This word "Word" or in Greek, logos has a meaning that includes "order" or "logic."  And, even in the times in my life when I felt agnostic about God, I still recognized something of the beauty, and order, and even the sometimes terrifying otherness of nature - of creation of the cosmos.  Looking at a sunset over the red-roofed houses of Florence, Italy or seeing the sun reflect off the ocean waves, enjoying the company of good friends, or even carrying the sadness of a lost loved one -- these all bring me to an awareness of the logos of the world, of the cosmos.  From the beginning, God has been not only the creator, but the beginning of John's gospel reminds us that from the beginning "the Word," the logos was there - and through the Word, the logos, all was created.  In our hearts and minds and understanding exists the order and logic of the logos of God.  In our hearts and minds and understanding exists Christ.

So, it is not whether or not we say the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed, it is not whether we attend this or that church, it is not whether or not we can express an orthodox understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity.  What it is, is that we are created through the logos, that we are created through Christ, and Christ lives in us as we live in him.

John 1: 1- 18 (NRSV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God. 

3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. 

What has come into being 

4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people!

Amen!

Alleluia!!

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey